A Redesigned Chucky Actually Makes with the Scary

A Pleasantly Surprised Revenge Honey ReviewCurse of Chucky (2013)
I can't say that I've ever been a big fan of the Child's Play/Chucky movies. My affection for the first one is based solely on my love for Chris Sarandon: it's real and it's deep. I could take or leave the majority of the sequels until Jennifer Tilly was added in as Chucky's paramour, Tiffany. But even then, the movies were amusing for their camp value. I have never found anything the slightest bit frightening about a stupid ginger doll, even if he IS possessed with the spirit of a pretty terrifying serial killer. (Brad Dourif is tops, by the way. This is not a reflection on him.) Just kick the damn doll in the plastic nethers and go about your day.

Kill it! Kill it with fire!

So imagine my total shock when I saw the new and improved Good Guy doll in Curse of Chucky, and was disgusted, creeped out, and actually, dare I say it... a little scared!

In Curse, a paraplegic named Nica (played by Fiona Dourif, daughter of Brad Dourif, voice of Chucky... SYNCHRONICITY!) is forced to deal with her meddling sister and her family after the sudden death of their mother. However, right before the mother's tragic death, she received a package containing a Good Guy doll named... wait for it... CHUCKY! Well, obviously. Anyway. Nica's niece becomes infatuated with the Chucky doll and the feeling is obviously mutual. Chucky has marked this family for revenge, as they may have played a part in his eternity of plastic-dom. Of course you can probably guess what happens next, so no more plot. On to the good stuff!

The Gore: I like to think at this point in my horror life, not much phases me. You've seen one guy get hanged from a balcony by his own intestines, you've seen them all. (Literally.) However, there were several moments in Curse of Chucky that absolutely caught me off guard in both their realism and their sheer grossness. When I say I gagged at one point, that's not hyperbole. Director Don Mancini and the FX team on this film really don't hold back. And good on them I say!

No, totes normal to just get a creepy ginger doll in the mailfor no reason. Let's play with it!

The Re-designed Chucky Doll: I know that when people saw the redesign on Chucky, they were practically pissing their pants with rage. Frankly, get the fuck over it. If you want to see the same cheesy 80s FX, then watch the damn original movie. As Bob Dylan said, "The times, they are a' changin' fuckwads." (I added that last part.) It's not as if Mancini redesigned Chucky and then made him a Mormon missionary. All of that being said, this is BY FAR, the most off-putting and creepy that Chucky has ever looked. So before you drop the hammer of judgment and refuse to see the movie based on an updated Chucky doll, trust me when I say that the redesign works and he is a scary motherfucker now.

The Cast of Characters: Straight up truth ~ having a paraplegic as your heroine adds a whole different level of danger and terror to situation. Fiona Dourif is absolutely believable as Nica, a woman who doesn't let her disability define her even in a two story mansion with no electricity. And while it might be over-exploited just a touch, there is something utterly-fucking-skin-crawling about watching a woman who can't feel her legs get repeatedly slashed/hacked/axed in them. The supporting cast is solid enough given how quickly they're dispatched for the most part. This is really Fiona Dourif's movie, and she is more than up to the task of carrying it.

The minute your kid says her doll told her there is no god,time to drown the evil out of it.

The Extras!: I'm not ruining anything for you on this, but I can assure that fans of the Chucky movies will not be disappointed with winks and nods to the previous films. Curse of Chucky expands on the Charles Lee Ray origin story and does a solid job connecting to the first film. The real fun comes from some of the surprise guest appearances though! Make sure you stick through the credits, because I'd say it's totally worth it.

Over all, Curse of Chucky was real a surprise. I thought it was creepy, effective, and had some genuinely terrifying moments. Not to mention that one of the kills, while not necessarily anything new, is so well done that I found myself wincing and giving my jaw bone a stretch. Just trust me. Blech.

Stabby Points: 3 1/2 out of 5 (minus a 1/2 point for no Chris Sarandon cameo. I may just start docking half a point from every movie that doesn't feature him actually.)